Pattern Deck

The Cooling the Commons Pattern Deck has been designed as a prototype decision-making resource for planners, developers, educators, community liaison officers, council workers and the communities they serve. Each pattern, based on living examples, identifies key arrangements between built form and social practices that support common­-based cooling. These are not technical drawings nor are they merely examples. Each illustrated pattern follows a template that lays out a description and rationale; enablers and constraints; commoning concerns; links to other patterns in the Deck and references.

Every situation in which a pattern might apply is different – one size does not fit all. Therefore, the deck of patterns is ideally to be used in a workshop setting, where the specifics of context and implementation can be explored with different stakeholders. In the pattern workshop we explain the commons-based cooling approach, the pattern language, and run an exercise that helps participants to identify how the patterns might translate into specific design and decision-making processes. It is envisaged that feedback from these workshops will be incorporated into the patterns on an ongoing basis. This form of ‘social resonance testing’ will help to refine the set of patterns over time, with some patterns being retired and the need for new ones emerging. While it is yet to be comprehensively tested, the Cooling the Commons Pattern Deck represents strategies and resources we identify as necessary that to ensure liveability in new and renewing neighbourhoods into the future.